Running Away (Episode)
Running Away (逃げて, Nigete) is the seventeenth episode of Mobile Suit Stardust Gundam. Summary The episode begins with a narration: EUS-0098 Grissomm flies over the desert, its crew exhausted from the constant attacks of the Arian Forces against them. However, they persist in their journey to Welgaia, where an Earth Union operation is to take place. As of right now, the Grissomm is about to cross over into Welgaia, and because of that, the entire crew is ready for an attack at any moment. On the bridge, everyone is tense as Mirai tries to sneak the ship across the edge of the area. All around the ship, personnel are waiting for when they're attacked, so that their defenses can be put up immediately. In the launch bay, Sigro, Takumi, Anima, and Kara wait inside their unit. Takumi tries to loosen the tension with a couple of jokes, but Doralus hails all of them to maintain radio silence incase someone tries to listen into their communications. They shut off communications while they wait, as Takumi just sits there and thinks about Amy. Meanwhile, the ABS-EF1002 Lance-class has landed inside Welgaia and Dagan Ragea (and assistant Jess) walks out to the entrance of the major base in the area. He's there to request replacement supplies from the commander of the bases all around Welgaia, Guen Aster. He greet each other and talk about the approaching Grissomm, Dagan asking if Guen has any plan of attack at the moment. He says that he's waiting for the right opportunity to strike them, after they've already crossed over into Welgaia. Dagan requests the new supplies after the discussion is done, which Guen gives to him, allowing to leave back to his ship. After he's out of the room, Guen insults him to his back as he calls one of his men. Jess talks with her commanding officer about what they're going to do now, with him saying that they'll wait for now. Suddenly, a missile is launched from the base, heading for the area the Grissomm is in. He runs back into the building and yells at Guen, knowing he did it. Guen tells him that taking them out here and now is the best solution, while Dagan brings up his previous plan. He says that he made it up to appease such a strategist as Dagan. He orders him to leave, which he reluctantly does. The missile allows numerous AMS-1001 Aryan to follow and attack the Grissomm head on, along with several fighter jets and attack helicopters. Mirai steers the ship out of the way, but the missile instead hits the left exit to the launch bay. Sigro moves in the MC2MS-13579 Stardust Gundam to peer down and see the enemies below. Doralus has the ship enter combat status and orders the mobile weapons to stay inside and provide covering fire. Almost immediately, Sigro jumps out from the ship and attacks the enemy head on, much to the anger of Doralus. He slashes through Aryan after Aryan like they were nothing to him while shooting down the aerial enemy units with the vulcans. Doralus orders him to come back up to the ship, and Sigro ignores him while he destroys another Aryan. Doralus decides to have Takumi try and get Sigro back, as Takumi launches out in the MHM2A-13581 Hawkmey Fighter. He hails Sigro and tells him to go back to the ship, while Sigro just yells at him about this being the time to strike back. Instantly, Sigro sees a small mining base where these enemy units are coming from and rushes over to it, firing onto it with the beam rifle. He ravages the buildings and towers with each beam shot, while knocking down more of the grunt forces with the shield. Takumi, along with the rest of the Grissomm crew watch this happen right in front of them, with Doralus deciding to launch Anima and Kara too. They go out to get the Stardust and Sigro back, but they soon spot the Lance carrier heading to where they are. Sigro, as he's about to walk to another section of the base, sees it overhead and remembers it from a few weeks ago. He decides to walk towards it while ignoring the rest of his friends. On the bridge of the Lance, Dagan goes to launch in his AMS-1003 Naxos as Jess hails him. She asks to launch along with him, which he gives his clearance for as he points to one of the Aryans in the dock. He launches out and free-falls down, landing to greet the Stardust and Sigro. Sigro says that this fight won't be like last time as he attacks with the beam saber. However, Dagan dodges every swing while calling Sigro's attack sloppy and predictable. They keep fighting, as Sigro realizes that any solution he came up against the Naxos just doesn't work as he can barely keep up with it. Meanwhile, Jess comes out in the Aryan, watching the battle with the Grissomm below. However, her attention goes to Dagan's fight with Sigro, but Takumi interrupts Jess as she's descending down. Much to his surprise, she manages to hit one of the wing binders on the Hawkmey with the machine rifle. He flees back to the Grissomm as he wonders how she could've hit such a fast target as he as quickly as she did. Back to the fight, Sigro is about to slashed with the heat sword when one of the Grissomm's turrets fire on the Naxos. Dagan, deciding the situation has gotten too far south, retreats with Jess and some of his troops back to the Lance. Sigro just stands there, hyperventilating from the stress. Meanwhile, he's hailed by the bridge, Jason telling him that Doralus has a few things to say to him. Sigro understands as he returns to the ship. Later on, Doralus chews out Sigro about his blatant disregard for his authority today, with Sigro just brushing him off as he leaves the bridge. Doralus is on the verge of getting up and killing Sigro right then and there, but Mirai manages to stop him from doing so. He decides to leave for the medical bay, saying he has a slight headache. As he leaves he runs into Armen in the halls, and he decides to walk with her. He tells her about his frustration with his crew, especially Sigro. Meanwhile, Sigro is in the launch bay, rewriting his notes about the Naxos and trying to figure out what went wrong. Soon, he hears Armen and Doralus near him, so he decides to hide. They walk in, as Doralus starts talking about taking Sigro off the Gundam permanently. Armen tries to argue against that, since he's the only one capable at the moment, but Doralus brings up Takumi, who's probably more than qualified to do so. Their conversation leads to Sigro stepping out and being noticed by the two. Doralus decides to make him the one in the wrong as he berates him for his cocky behavior, his angst-filled attitude, and him thinking that he can do as he pleases. Sigro runs away, Armen trying to chase him, but Doralus stops her. He says that it's better this way, since they don't have to explain it to him anymore. A little later, Takumi, Anima, and Kara are talking to each other in Takumi's room, while Deva sits drawing. Suddenly, Sigro comes and asks Takumi for a favor, so the two go outside into the hall. Sigro tell him that he's going to leave as he points to a bag he was hiding against the wall from the others. Takumi asks why he's telling him this, and Sigro says that he wants to open the launch bay door, so he can jump off the Grissomm with one of the ship's cars. Takumi says that's insane, but Sigro reassures him that he'll be covered head to toe in protective gear. Takumi reluctantly does so as they go to the launch bay. They arrive as he has Takumi go open the door, while Sigro throws down a different bag to one of the cars already there. He lets Takumi be by himself while he sneaks into the cockpit of the Stardust. He talks to himself, saying how no-one will take the last thing he has of his father, as Takumi manages to open the hanger door. He peers down and tries to tell Sigro to go, but realizes what's happening as the Stardust moves and launches out in the middle of a sandstorm. Doralus, along with the rest of the bridge crew and Armen get to see the Stardust disappear in front of them. Takumi runs up to the bridge and asks for forgiveness as he was tricked by Sigro. Doralus looks outside to the environment around them, realizing that Sigro has went AWOL with the Stardust. Trivia